and consecrated with great ceremony, once a year, at Moscow, by a bishop, on Thursday in Passion Week.

After baptism, the priest hangs a small cross of about an inch long, of gold or silver or some other metal, upon the neck of the child, which is worn through life on the naked breast. The origin of this custom is traced by Tatischeff to the very first dawn of Christianity among the Russians, when, in the time of Vladimir I., they were baptized in multitudes in the River Wolhoff, by Joachim, bishop of Novogorod, who ordered crosses to be suspended from the necks of those who had been baptized, in order to distinguish them from such as had not been baptized. But the common people are not satisfied alone with the cross, as a means of protection from the effects of the evil-eye, witchcraft, and other supposed supernatural influences: they also attach to the string which suspends the cross, amulets made of incense. These amulets are applied to the child almost as soon as it is born, and are generally worn to the last moment of life. They are called, in Slavonic, Hzanilnaia, "preservative."

Another very singular custom, which forms a part of the baptismal ceremony, is cutting off, in the form of the cross, part of the hair of the infant; enveloping it in wax, and throwing it into the font, or sticking it up in a corner of the church. This is called Postrigania, "the shearing of the child," and is the same as the custom they had of cutting off the hair of the child when it received its name, in its seventh year.-A godfather and godmother, called kum and kuma, or Vozpriemniki, “Receivers," are absolutely necessary to baptism. During the ten persecutions, in the first ages of the Christian Church, these Receivers, say the Russian bishops, were first employed at baptisms, in order that they might

undertake to discharge the duty of Christian instruction on behalf of the child, in case the parents should be called upon to suffer martyrdom for their faith, and the child remain a helpless orphan the frequency of such instances is said to have given rise to the usage.

In ancient times, the Russian princes usually bestowed upon their children two names, the one Slavonian and the other Greek; the first at the birth of the child, and the second at its baptism. This custom continued until the fourteenth century, when the Slavonian name was dropt, and the child began to be called after the Saint marked in the Kalendar on the eighth day after its birth.

Until the time of Peter I. it was the custom of the Russians, when addressing a petition to their superiors and their nobles, to sign their names in diminutives: thus, instead of Peter, Petrushka; Ivan, Ivashka; &c. These diminutives are much used even in the present day, by superiors when speaking to their inferiors, lords to their slaves, and parents to their children; but the above-mentioned emperor, by an ukaz of the 30th of December 1701, forbad the use of them in signatures.

The ancient Russians had, properly speaking, no family names; they used only the appellatives given to the child at its birth, joined to the designation which the father had received on his coming into the world. Afterwards they began to add various terms of distinction, taken from peculiar properties either of the mind or body; and these became the distinguishing marks of individuals of the same family, who retained at the same time the ancient form of the double appellation: thus, Feodor Ivanovitch, i. e. "Theodore the son of John;" Dolgoruki, "Longhanded." Dolgoruki thenceforth became the family designation for the whole race springing from the individual to whom it was first applied.

The family names of their ancient races of princes are taken either from the principalities which they governed; thus, the Prince Viazemski, from the town and country of Viazem ;-from the rivers or places where they had distinguished themselves in defence of their country; thus, Donskie, from the Don; Nevskie, from the Neva;or from peculiar traits in their character; as, Grosnoi, "severe;" Gordie,"proud;" Heabrie, "brave;” Bogolubski, "God-loving;" Velikie, "great;"-or from some bodily imperfection; as, Kosie, "squinting;" Krasnie, "red;' Temnie, “dark," &c. &c. But the names of their reigning princes seem usually compounded with the word glory; thus, Sviatoslav, "Holy glory;" Vladislav, "Ruler of glory;" Stanislav, "Establisher of glory; "-and, among the females, Vozmislava, "Receiver of glory;" Podrajislava, "Imitatress of glory."

The nobles followed the same fashion; and hence the numerous branches of the same root; as, from Godun sprung the numerous families of Godunoffs: thus arose Soburoffs, Peshkoffs, Zernoffs, Beliaminoffs, Pelemoffs,&c. Prince Tscherbatoff, an eminent Russian historian, is of opinion, that the practice of naming all the branches of the same race by one family name was little known among the Russians till about the end of the fourteenth century. At last it became so general, that many adopted the surname of their father for their family name; as, Ivan Ivanovitch Ivanoff:-or they took their family name from their profession or situation in life; hence the Papoffs, Patersons; Diakonoffs, Deacons ; Kuznitzoffs, Smiths; Hlebnikoffs, Bakers, &c.

According to the present ideas of civility in conversation, among all classes of the Russians, it is necessary to address each other by the individual's own and his father's name; but never by the name of their family,

This usage

adding Mr. to it, as is customary among us. is difficult for a foreigner, even after he has attained to a considerable degree of readiness in the language; because it requires no ordinary exertion of memory to recollect, and properly apply, the name and the father's name to every one, especially in a large company. I have sometimes been surprised at the ease with which the Russians acquire and retain these distinctions. To address a man by his own and his father's name, is the most civil and respectful manner in which you can speak to him, or of him and even in speaking of the Emperor himself, with the highest veneration, both nobles and peasants denominate him simply 'Alexander the son of Paul' (Alexander Paulovitch). His ministers, in speaking of him, generally use the title Gosudar, 'Sovereign'; or Gosudar Imperator, 'Sovereign Emperor': but in speaking to him, 'Your Imperial Majesty'. The same simplicity of address is customary towards the Empress and the Royal Dukes.

M

CHAP. IX.

Departure from Odessa - Danger of crossing the River Bugh upon the Ice-An account of the Town of Nicholaief — Arrival in Elizabetograd-Rapidity of travelling in Winter, in Russia— Raskolniks or Dissenters of Elizabetograd-Visit to the Duchobortzi, on the Sea of Asoff, in 1816-their persecutionsRescript of the Emperor Alexander against persecution—Examination of three of them by the Archimandrite Inokentie, in 1792-Conversation with one of them in Petersburg, in 1822— Singular opinion of the Molochani respecting the Kiss of Charity - Departure from Elizabetograd—a Russian Travelling-sledge -Severity of the Winter-Arrival in Kief on Christmas Eve.

AFTER taking leave of the friends who had shewn me so much disinterested kindness during my stay, I left Odessa in a common Russian kibitka, with post-horses, accompanied by my servant Vasilie. The Archimandrite Theophil, and three other members of the Bible Society, drove three versts with me; and, having seen me clear of the Custom-house, wished me a good journey, and returned. After travelling all night over the woodless steppes extending from Odessa northwards, we reached the banks of the Bugh, opposite Nicholaief, early the following morning. Here the river is nearly a mile broad; and the ice was so thin and thawing, that horses could not pass. I went into an ale-house kept by a Jew, and lay down upon a bench for an hour, until daybreak. The danger of attempting the passage of the ice during the thaw was considered so great, that I was not